Singapore: 58 Arrested in Raids on Public Entertainment Outlets for Employment Offences

A total of 58 individuals were arrested for employment-related offenses during operations at two public entertainment venues on Thursday, October 23.

Among them are 32 foreign nationals who were discovered to be engaging in illicit performing arts work.

In a joint statement released on Friday, October 24, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the Singapore Police Force (SPF), and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said that they were conducting the enforcement operations.

It was discovered that the 32 foreign workers were working at the two locations without valid work permits, despite having been hired as performing artists under the Work Permit (Performing Artiste) program.

For a maximum of six months, the program is designed to hire foreign performers exclusively in approved public entertainment venues.

According to the agencies, four Singapore permanent residents and the other 22 foreign nationals were detained for offenses connected to their jobs.

Six e-vaporizers were also seized, and two additional individuals were apprehended in possession of them.

The police investigations are still ongoing.

Through frequent compliance and enforcement checks, MOM has been keeping a careful eye on the hiring of foreign performing artists under the Work Permit (Performing Artiste) scheme.

"In the light of the persistent abuse, MOM has reviewed the scheme and will be announcing changes to it soon," the statement said.

The ministry's foreign manpower management division's divisional director, Adrian Quek, stated that any misuse of the work pass system will not be accepted.

"Foreign workers must be engaged in legitimate employment. We will continue to take strong enforcement action against those who abuse the system and undermine the integrity of our work pass controls," he said.

A fine of S$5,000 to S$30,000, up to a year in jail, or both could be imposed on anyone found guilty of hiring a foreign national without a valid work permit.

Foreigners who work for themselves without a valid work permit risk a fine of up to S$20,000, up to two years in jail, or both. Upon conviction, they will also be prohibited from working in Singapore.

MOM reported earlier in October that, on average, 420 employers were prosecuted annually between 2021 and 2024 for employing foreign workers in Singapore without a valid work permit.

Every year, about 200 of them were fined or prosecuted.

The remaining cases, which mostly involved first-time offenders or short-term illegal employment, received warnings.